Chapter 1 My body was seen
The dew grows heavier as night deepens.
Inside the meditation room in the backyard of Puzhao Temple.
Jiang Zhi took off her hair bun, and with her fair hands, she used a shovel to stir the incense sticks, making the incense in the burner even stronger. She silently calculated that the time should be almost up.
Sure enough, a short while later, faint footsteps were heard outside the quiet Zen temple, and her heart tightened for no reason.
With a creak, the window was pushed open, and a dark figure silently climbed in.
Seeing that Jiang Zhi was still awake, the other person paused noticeably. Before she could speak, he leaned forward, grabbed her shoulders, and covered her lips with his large hand.
"Don't make a sound. I'm just looking out for a bit. I won't hurt you," he said in a low voice.
Jiang Zhi's anxiety finally subsided.
Just like in his previous life, Xie Qi, the heir of the Marquis of Wuyi, was hunted down as an assassin and sneaked into the backyard of Puzhao Temple.
Today she made thorough preparations for going up the mountain; the strong incense in the house was just enough to mask the smell of blood from his injuries.
If Xie Qi had any sense at all, he would have come to the meditation room where she was.
Jiang Zhi was reborn one day ago.
At this time in his previous life, his grandmother did not take the younger generation to Puzhao Temple. Xie Qi was able to escape the investigation only because of his grandmother's protection.
Much later, Xie Qi, to repay his grandmother's kindness, went to the Jiang family to ask for their daughter's hand in marriage.
Originally, she was the eldest daughter of the legitimate wife, and her grandmother favored her as the marriage partner. However, her stepmother found out about this and secretly plotted to ruin her reputation, carrying her into the backyard of the Earl of Zhongqin's mansion in a small sedan chair.
Meanwhile, her stepsister Jiang Yunqian married Xie Qi in a grand and glamorous manner, drawing envy from countless people in the capital.
After that, Jiang Zhi's days were like a nightmare.
She suffered endless humiliation in the Earl's mansion and struggled to survive.
After the Earl's mansion was embroiled in a treason case and all the male members were exiled to the north, she was sent to a brothel and became that man's plaything.
Humiliation, torment, walking on thin ice.
She unexpectedly discovered she was pregnant, and after taking an abortion pill, she suffered a massive hemorrhage and died on the cold bed in the brothel.
Thinking of the suffering she endured in her past life, she couldn't help but grit her teeth.
During her three years in the brothel, what she learned most thoroughly was how to use her own qualities to capture a man's heart.
My stepsister has always been proud to marry Xie Qi, hasn't she? Then I'll ruin her marriage and take control of the situation.
Stepmother, stepsister, the Earl's mansion, including that man.
She would collect everything they owed her, little by little.
Thinking of this, Jiang Zhi promptly feigned panic and nodded in agreement.
Soon, a commotion broke out outside. The outer courtyard gate was kicked open, and someone holding a torch shouted in a stern and authoritative voice, "Go in and search! Don't let a single fly escape!"
Grandmother preferred quiet, so Jiang Zhi used the excuse of praying for her father to go up the mountain with her grandmother, and they did not stay in the same courtyard.
I didn't expect the people from outside to arrive so quickly.
The maid Qingxing, who had already received instructions, blocked the doorway and demanded, "Halt! Who are you? The lady inside is the legitimate daughter of the Minister of Rites, Jiang family. What do you want?"
"Lu Yuan, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, has been ordered to capture the assassin," the leader said, his handsome face radiating sharpness, his tone forceful and cold. "If we let him escape, Miss Jiang will likely not be able to bear the responsibility."
Without waiting for the person inside to speak, he pulled Qingxing aside, stepped forward, and pushed open the door to come in.
"presumptuous!"
As a scream rang out, Lu Yuan's vision blurred, and a water ladle flew straight toward his face.
He snorted coldly and dodged to the side, simultaneously drawing his embroidered spring knife from his waist. In a few moments, he held it to the throat of the attacker. "You're asking for death."
But his movements soon stopped.
What stood before them was not an assassin, but a young girl whose clothes had been removed.
She was completely submerged in a bathtub filled with flower petals, with only half of her snow-white shoulder showing. Her face was filled with panic and shame, and her wet black hair clung to her cheeks, making her skin appear even more like porcelain.
She stared at him with startled eyes, her arms wrapped around her shoulders, her whole body trembling.
"Wait outside, and don't come in without my permission!" Lu Yuan shouted, his tall and imposing figure blocking the view of the bathtub.
The subordinates behind him didn't see what happened inside the room, but they obeyed and left, thoughtfully closing the door behind them.
"Kill me if you want, but I don't want to live anymore after someone has seen my body." Jiang Zhi said stiffly, tears welling up in her eyes.
The blade was only inches from her skin; with just a little force, it could slit her throat and cause her to bleed profusely.
Although it was mostly acting, Jiang Zhi was genuinely surprised when she saw that it was Lu Yuan.
In his previous life, when the Earl's mansion was embroiled in a treason case, it was Lu Yuan who led his men to raid the house.
Even after so much time has passed, Jiang Zhi still couldn't help but feel terrified when she saw Lu Yuan again.
But the arrow has already left the bowstring, and there's no point in taking it back now.
Moreover, she is now a young lady of the Minister's mansion, not a lowly concubine who couldn't see the light of day in her previous life.
No matter how ruthless Lu Yuan is, he should still have some reservations.
As expected, Lu Yuan sheathed his sword, lowered his eyes and avoided looking at her. "Miss Jiang, I have a mission to perform. If the room search is successful, I will personally go to your residence to apologize."
After saying that, he ignored Jiang Zhi's tearful expression and began to carefully search the small meditation room.
The room was simply decorated with a bed, a wardrobe, a set of tables and chairs, and a few scattered ornaments; you could see the whole room at a glance.
After carefully searching the area, including under the bed and on the roof beams, they still couldn't find the person they were looking for.
The assassin was wounded, but the air was filled with the fragrance of incense, and there was not a trace of blood in the air.
Lu Yuan's dark gaze fell on Jiang Zhi, "We've searched the rest of the place, except for Miss Jiang's bathtub..."
Looking at the direction the assassin had fled, he saw only this meditation room; he didn't believe the assassin could hide anywhere else.
Jiang Zhi's face turned deathly pale. She bit her lip and negotiated with him, "Then could you please leave first, Lord Lu? It won't be too late to search after I've dressed?"
Lu Yuan narrowed his cold eyes slightly, "Of course not. Miss Jiang just needs to cooperate, and it will be over soon."
He finished speaking and was about to go forward to check.
Jiang Zhi's heart was in her throat.
Xie Qi was currently in the bathtub, and fortunately, his martial arts skills were not weak, allowing him to hold his breath underwater for so long without being discovered.
But if Lu Yuan goes forward to investigate, everything will be exposed.
Jiang Zhi gritted her teeth, took off the jade hairpin that bound her hair, and pressed it against her neck before Lu Yuan could react.
“If Lord Lu wants to investigate, I have nothing to say. But now, not only has my body been seen, but I am also suffering such humiliation. How can I live with myself?”
Her bloodshot eyes were fixed on Lu Yuan, her lips trembling, but her voice carried a resolute tone, "If you want to investigate, then take my corpse with you to report!"
After saying that, he recklessly stabbed himself in the neck!
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